News from Your Local MP

I was delighted to be invited to look round the new South Bristol Hospital last week. With the main building work complete, the focus has now turned to the process of fitting the hospital out with specialist medical equipment in time for the opening in the Spring. The builders really have done a fantastic job – now our hospital is just weeks away from treating its first patients. Soon, we will have a modern, extremely well-equipped hospital in the middle of our community and can celebrate our successful campaign which so many local people have supported.

WOMEN'S SAFETY CONSULTATION

You may be interested to know that Yvette Cooper, the Shadow Home Secretary, has launched a consultation on women’s safety called “Everywoman Safe, Everywhere”. The consultation seeks the views of women on this important issue and aims to assess the impact of Government policy on women’s safety as well as considering ways in which women’s personal safety can be and protected and enhanced. To have your say, visit the following website and complete the online survey before 24 February: http://fresh-ideas.org.uk/safetyconsultation

VISITING ILMINSTER AVENUE E-ACT ACADEMY

It was a pleasure to join pupils at Ilminster Avenue E-ACT Academy recently to present badges and certificates to the children who have been newly elected by their peers to the school council. I was very interested to meet the new school councillors and hear how they will be representing their classmates. School councils are a great way to teach children about democracy and citizenship while letting them have their say on issues affecting the school.

CYCLE TO WORK SCHEME

Last week I met with managers and employees of engineering firm Babcock at their premises in Ashton Vale to discuss the success of their Cycle to Work scheme. The national scheme, introduced by the former Labour Government in 1999, aims to encourage more people to cycle to work. Employers purchase bicycles and safety equipment which employees can then hire as a tax-exempt benefit for the purpose of cycling to and from work. Babcock is one of many businesses across the country to offer the scheme to its staff, and it has been such a success locally that the firm has recently needed to extend its bicycle sheds. It’s brilliant that more and more people are choosing to cycle to work as this means there are fewer cars on the road and therefore less pollution and congestion. The individual employees are clearly benefiting from better fitness levels and the reduced cost of commuting while the employer gains too by having a healthier workforce. Our discussions highlighted that more could be done to make cycling easier in Bristol and I will be following this up. For more information about the Cycle to Work Scheme, visit www.cycletoworkalliance.org.uk

JUST TEXT GIVING

I have been asked to circulate details of JustTextGiving which may be of interest to local charities in Bristol South. I know some local groups are using this service already which allows charities and individuals to raise money via text message and provides a free, quick and convenient means of fundraising. The service is free to set up, with every penny donated going to the charity and it works by allowing individuals to make donations by text message. For more information, visit: www.justtextgiving.co.uk

ANY QUESTIONS?

If you have any queries about these issues, or have a question you would like to ask about anything else, please do not hesitate to get in touch. Just email me at dawn.primarolo.mp@parliament.uk, phone 0117 909 0063 or write to me at PO Box 1002, Bristol, BS99 1WH.